Linktree and Trustd are not competing for the same job. Linktree solves a specific problem: Instagram allows one link in your bio, but you have multiple things to share. Your store, your YouTube, your WhatsApp, your latest blog post. Linktree puts all of them behind a single URL. For that job, it works.
The limitation appears when that link page is also expected to be a store. Linktree is not a storefront. It has no checkout, no inventory, no order management, no customer records. When a customer taps a product link on your Linktree page, they are taken to an external store — or they are DM-ing you directly. The buying experience happens somewhere else, or not at all.
If you are using Linktree as a convenience layer to organise your links, it is a reasonable tool. If you are using it as a substitute for a proper storefront, it is the wrong tool for the job.
Linktree at a glance
Linktree launched in 2016 in Australia and is used by over 70 million profiles globally. The premise is simple: one URL in your bio that opens a page with as many links as you need. Brands, creators, musicians, businesses, and boutique sellers all use it for the same reason. Instagram’s one-link rule makes it the most practical way to share multiple destinations with followers.
What Linktree does well:
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Fast setup — a link page with multiple links can be live in under five minutes
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Free plan is permanent with unlimited links, basic themes, and simple analytics
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Well-recognised by customers who do not hesitate to tap it
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Connects to Shopify, Mailchimp, Spotify, YouTube, and dozens of other platforms
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Works as a traffic router that sends followers to wherever your content and products live Where Linktree falls short for boutique sellers:
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It is a link page, not a store. Customers who tap a product link either go to an external store or are directed to DM you. There is no browsable product catalog, no checkout, no payment processing, and no order tracking inside Linktree
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Commerce fees are high. Linktree charges a 12% seller fee on every transaction through Linktree Commerce on the free plan, dropping to 9% on paid plans and 0% on the Premium plan at $35/month. On a Rs 1,000 sale on the free plan, Rs 120 goes to Linktree before Stripe or PayPal takes its cut. One breakdown showed that a $20 product sale on the free plan costs the seller 16.4% of revenue in combined Linktree and Stripe fees
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Paid plans became significantly more expensive in November 2025. The Starter plan nearly doubled from $5 to $8/month. The Pro plan increased 67% from $9 to $15/month. Sellers who chose Linktree for its price need to re-evaluate that calculation
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Linktree branding appears on your page on the free plan. For a boutique that has invested in building a brand identity, every customer sees “Linktree” at the bottom of the page rather than your name
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No custom domain on any plan. Your link page lives at linktr.ee/yourname, not a URL that carries your brand. Every visitor is building Linktree’s domain authority, not yours
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Account suspensions without notice. Multiple users report having accounts suspended without explanation, losing all links immediately. For a boutique where the bio link is central to how customers reach you, this is a real operational risk
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No WhatsApp ordering. Linktree has no feature for generating pre-filled cart messages or connecting your product catalog to WhatsApp
Trustd at a glance
Trustd is built for boutique owners and social sellers who need a proper storefront connected to Instagram and WhatsApp, where customers can browse and buy directly without being sent somewhere else.
What Trustd offers:
- Free plan with unlimited products, a premium shop page, WhatsApp ordering, and review management. No seller fee from Trustd. No Trustd branding on your store.
- Pro plan at Rs 999 a year in India (roughly Rs 83 a month) or $25 a year internationally. Includes online payments via Razorpay, Stripe, or Direct UPI, order management dashboard, categories and collections, coupons, analytics, and a Trustd Verified badge.
- A real storefront. Customers browse your product catalog, tap a product, and check out, all on your Trustd store. No external redirect required.
- WhatsApp ordering. Customers tap a button on your storefront and a pre-filled WhatsApp message with their cart opens automatically. Available on the free plan.
- Verified reviews. Customers confirm their review via email, earning a Verified badge. Your Trust Score displays publicly on your store.
- Your own URL. Your store lives at trustd.shop/yourname and can be set as your Instagram bio link directly. No intermediary link page needed.
- No commerce fee from Trustd. You pay only what Razorpay or Stripe charges for payment processing, with no additional percentage taken by the platform.
What each platform costs when you sell
For boutique sellers who process regular orders, the fee difference is the most important number in this comparison.
| Scenario | Linktree (free plan) | Trustd (free plan) |
|---|---|---|
| Rs 500 sale | Rs 60 Linktree fee + Rs 17 processing | Rs 0 platform fee + Rs 17 processing |
| Rs 1,000 sale | Rs 120 Linktree fee + Rs 33 processing | Rs 0 platform fee + Rs 33 processing |
| Rs 5,000 sale | Rs 600 Linktree fee + Rs 163 processing | Rs 0 platform fee + Rs 163 processing |
| Monthly on Rs 25,000 in sales | Rs 3,000+ in Linktree fees | Rs 0 in platform fees |
Processing fees (Razorpay or Stripe) apply on Trustd’s paid plan and are standard for any payment processor. Trustd’s free plan uses WhatsApp ordering and does not process card payments directly.
Side-by-side comparison
| Trustd | Linktree | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Online storefront | Link-in-bio page |
| Free plan | Yes — unlimited products | Yes — unlimited links |
| Commerce fee (free plan) | None | 12% per sale |
| Commerce fee (paid plan) | None | 9% (Starter/Pro), 0% (Premium) |
| Paid plan price | $2/month (Pro) | $8/month (Starter) |
| Product catalog | Yes — with images, variants, prices | No |
| Checkout | Yes | No |
| Order management | Yes (Pro) | No |
| WhatsApp ordering | Yes — free plan | No |
| Verified customer reviews | Yes — with Trust Score | No |
| Custom URL | trustd.shop/yourname | linktr.ee/yourname |
| Your own domain | Yes (Pro) | No (any plan) |
| Branding on free plan | No | Yes (Linktree branding) |
| Razorpay / UPI payments | Yes (Pro) | No |
Linktree is the better fit if…
You need a clean page that sends your Instagram followers to multiple destinations — your WhatsApp, your YouTube channel, your latest blog post, your newsletter signup, and your store. Linktree handles that job well and its free plan covers the basics without a time limit. It is also useful as a traffic layer that sits above your store, giving customers multiple ways to reach you from a single bio link.
Trustd is the better fit if…
Your primary goal is selling products rather than organising links. Trustd gives you a storefront where customers can browse, pay, and order — with no 12% commerce fee, no Linktree branding, and no external redirect required. Your Trustd store URL can replace your Linktree page as the bio link entirely, or you can add your Trustd URL as one link inside your Linktree if you want to keep both.
For Indian boutique sellers specifically, Trustd’s Razorpay integration on the Pro plan handles cards, UPI, netbanking, and wallets natively at Rs 999 for the entire year. That is less than two months of Linktree’s Starter plan.
Start your free Trustd store — unlimited products, no commerce fee, WhatsApp ordering, and verified reviews from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell products on Linktree?
Linktree lets you add links to external stores and display some digital products through Linktree Commerce. On the free plan, every sale through Linktree Commerce carries a 12% seller fee on top of Stripe's standard processing fees. That means on a Rs 1,000 sale, Linktree takes Rs 120 before payment processing costs. For selling physical products with proper checkout, order management, and inventory tracking, a dedicated storefront is better suited.
Does Linktree have a free plan?
Yes. Linktree's free plan includes unlimited links, basic themes, and simple analytics with no time limit. It shows Linktree branding on your page and charges a 12% seller fee if you sell anything through it. Paid plans start at $8/month after a price increase in November 2025. Trustd's free plan includes unlimited products, WhatsApp ordering, and review management with no seller fee from Trustd.
What is the difference between Linktree and Trustd?
Linktree is a link-in-bio tool. It creates a landing page that sits behind your Instagram bio link and sends visitors to multiple destinations. It is not a store. Trustd is a storefront. It gives you product pages, a checkout, payment processing, order management, and WhatsApp ordering. If you need a single link that sends followers to multiple places, Linktree does that well. If you need customers to browse and buy your products, Trustd is built for that.
Is Linktree free really free for sellers?
Free to use as a link page, yes. Free to sell through, no. Linktree charges a 12% seller fee on every transaction made through Linktree Commerce on the free plan. Selling a Rs 500 item costs Rs 60 in Linktree fees alone, before payment processing. That fee drops to 9% on paid plans and 0% on the Premium plan at $35/month.
Can I use both Linktree and Trustd together?
Yes. Many sellers use Linktree to send traffic to multiple destinations and include their Trustd store URL as one of the links. Your Trustd store URL also works directly as your Instagram bio link, removing the need for a Linktree page entirely if your primary goal is selling.